Mechanical toy



Jilly 22, 1930. s. l. BERGER.

MECHANICAL TOY Filed June 8, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 if gum/W002;

:5 35 1M Gum/mugs 41 W WJL L I finale/[Berger 2 ShetsSheet 2 Filed June 8, 1925 Patenteddul 22, 1930 UNITED STA- SAMUEL I. BERGER, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY MECHANICAL rroY Application filed June 8,

My present invention relates to improve- 'ments in mechanically driven figure toys of the'class in which a plurality of manikins are operated simultaneously from a single source ,5 of power, and through a single actuating 1 means, and in which the toy figurescooperatively simulate a pair of contesting athletes, such for instance as the'prin'cipals in a boxing bout. 1 1

An Object of the invention is to produce a realistic: toy of this character, which will be of attractive appearance, and simple, durable construction. A further object is to so operate the figures, that their movements,

while following a general predetermined s equence, will nevertheless be sufficiently irregular and variable to avoid the common fault of monotonous and timed regularitywhich would detract from the life-like effect.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention thetivo boxing figures aredisposed uponopposite ends of a transversely yieldable sup} porting member, the middle of which is inter- V mittently operated to cause "the toy figures 2 whichare sufiiciently heavy for the-purpose,

to bob resiliently by flexing the supporting membeixf Preferablythe supporting'member is secured at its middle 'to the upper endof avertical actuatingrod, vvhich is vertically V reclprocated at lrregularly timed ntervals,

and intermittently rotated at irregular periods. The toy figures are equipped with freely swinging arms and legs, moved by in ertia as the various movements of the sup porting means are transmitted directlyto the figures. The legs may also be caused to swing by contact with the floor as-thetoy figures o and d? about each :the eccentrically pivoted pawl 26 are fully set forth in my copending application above remove up other. l V i The motive power is preferably derived from a spring motor ofthe same general char- 'acter as that disclosed in my copending application, Serial No. 17,162 filed March 21, 1925. The motor is preferably equipped with an unusually simple, easily operated eaecave braking mechanism a d v 'Other featuresoftheinvention are the coastruction of the toy figuresan'd the constructionofisthe diminutiverepresentation of a 1925. Serial No, 35,543. d i v 7 prize ring, within which the figures perform their antics.

In-the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the toy, parts being broken away and in section for clearness.

Figure 2 is a sectional view 2'2 of Figures 1 and 3. r

Figure 3 is a view in transverse section .onthe line 33 of Figure 2, I

taken on line 1 Figure 4 i's'a similar view on the line of Figure 2, and- Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view indicating a modified type of ring.

The motor housing includes side walls 10, a bottom 11, and a top 12, the latter serving as the floorof the ring. a In the form shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the member 12 is formed with upturned marginal flanges 13, having their ends connected together as bybendable metal tongues 14. Upon the flanges 18, there is lith-, ographed, painted or otherwise depicted the representation of ropes 13' and corner posts.

The motor is preferably of the general construction shown in my copending applica tion above referredto'and includesa torsion spring 15 encircling a revolving drum 16 Which'carries-a driving gear 17.; The gear'17 drivesa train of speed increasing gears 18,

19, 20 and 21 which act by inertia'to exert U ferr'edto. a a i 4 1 The brake leverincludes a handle end 2'1, lyingflat against the outside of the motorcas ing, an ofiset intermediate portion 28 extend- 7 ing through the casing wall, constituting a pivot 'forthe brake lever. The innerend to engage with teeth ofthe 'gear wheel 21130 hold the entire train against movement. The- "ofthe brakelever isoffset at 27.?and adapted width or stiffness in the plane of its pivotal .power shaft 22 are a plurality of radially disposed lifting fingers 32,which, as theshaft rotates, intermittently strikethe lower face of the pinion 31 and bodily elevate it together with the actuating rod to whichlit is attached. The lifting fingers are spaced at irregular intervals about the power shaft so that the reciprocation of the actuating rod is not only intermittent but variably timed. The fingers 32 engage the teeth of the pinion 31 and thereby effect rotation of the actuating rod, but inasmuch as the teeth of thepinion are not cut with any attempt at: accuracy and also since the joggingand'swinging by m0- mentum of the figures also affects the turning ofthe rod, the latter is moved no prcdeter mined distance at each reciprocation. Teeth of the-descending pinion straddle the edge of a stationary plate 1O which provides the bearings for one end of shafts 22,23. The rotationalinovement of'the figuresby momentum after the impetus given by the lifting fingers is thus checked. The rotary movement of the pinion takes place only when it is at the level of cut awaypart 10.

Upon the upper end of the rod '29 I secure the intermediate portion of a horizontally disposed supporting member 35, preferably a tegrally joined at the top of the head. Ot

a fiat spring or some similarlyyieldable device. Upon the ends of the spring 35 are mounted the toy figures 36, 36.; These figures preferably include integral head and body portions formed by interlocking bendable tongues 37 at the edges of apair complementary metallic portions, which may be inher tongues 38. at the base of the body, pass through openings 39 inthe ends of the spring 35 and retain the figures in place on the support. Other tongues 4.0, l-.1 at the shoulders and hips of the figures offer pivotal -mounting'for the free swinging arms and-legs .2, {l3thesetongues being enlarged attheir outer .ends to determine the possible lateral displacement of thepivoted ends ofthe; limbs.

The operation will be evident; from' the --foregoing description.- As the actuating rod is reciprocated and rotated, 2 the support spring 35 isconcurrently moved up and 7 down, and caused to rotate about its middle.

The figures are reciprocated With the supcally rather than pictorially.

"in which the flanges 13 of the platform are omitted'and the ringis simulated mechani- Angular brackets .50 are superposed over the corners 7 of the platform 51 and protrude therebeyond.

The bracket has an integral median arm 57, extending into a pocket 57 upstruck from the platform and tongues 52 cut out of the platform are superposed over the sides of the arm 57. The bracket has a socket opening 53 to receive the corner post 54. The latter is formed of a cylindrically shaped metallic sheet having intermediate its ends, a struck out tongue 55 adapted to embrace and retain the corresponding part of the rope 56,which extends about the four identical posts at the corners of the platform. 7 i

It will thus be seen that there is herein described apparatus in which the several features of this invention are embodied, and which apparatus in its action attains the various objects of theinvention and is well suited to meet the requirements of practical use.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this inven tion could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in..the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting "sense. i i Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a toy of the class described, a vertical ly di'sposed intermittently rotated actuating rod, a horizontallydispo'sed supporting member secured intermediate its ends to the up per end of the rod, said member resilient in a vertical plane and rigid in a horizontal plane and figures mounted on the ends of the supporting member and including freely swinginglimbs. v v

2. In a toy of the class described, a vertically disposed actuating rod, a. horizontally dis osed. sue ortin member resilient ina vertical plane and securedtintermediateyits ends directly upon the upper end of the rod, figures mounted onthe ends of the suppporting member and including freely swinging and including freely swinging arms and legs,

means for vertically reciprocating the rod at irregularly timed intervals, and means for intermittently rotating the rod at irregularly time intervals.

4. In a toy of the class described, a motor casing, a motor therein, a platform covering the casing, a vertically disposed actuating rod projecting upward through the platform and operatively connected to the motor for intermittent reciprocating and rotational movement thereof, a fiat spring mounted at its middle on the upper end of the actuating rod, and toy figures secured to the ends of the spring, said figures including freely swing ing arms and legs.

5. In a toy of the class described, a motor casing, a motor therein, a platform covering the casing, a vertically disposed actuating rod projecting upward through the platform and operatively connected to the motor for intermittent reciprocating and rotationalmovement thereof, a flat spring mounted at its middle on the upper end of the actuating rod, and toy figures secured to the ends of the spring, said figures including freely swinging arms and legs, the legs being arranged to contact with the platform atone end of the reciprocating stroke of the rod.

6. In a toy of the class described, a motor casing, a motor therein, a platform covering the casing, a vertically disposed actuating rod operating upwardly through the platform, a

flat spring mounted at its middle upon the actuating rod, toy figures secured to the ends of the spring and including freely swinging arms and legs, said spring having slots therein and tongues on the body of each figure interlocking with the slots.

'7. In a toy of the class described, a motor casing, a motor therein, a platform overing the casing, a vertically disposed actuating rod projecting upward through the platform and operatively connected to the motor for intermittent reciprocating and rotational movement thereof, a flat spring mounted at its middle on the upperend ofv the actuating rod, and toy figures secured to the ends of the spring, said figures including freely swinging arms and legs, the figures being sufficiently heavy to flex the spring as the rod is reciprocated.

8. As a new article of manufacture, a toy figure including a body and head portion formed of v interlocking complementary stamping portions, tongues at the lower end of the body adapted to interlock with a support and freely swinging flat limbs pivoted to manikins. r

11. A toy of the class described, a motor the body, said body having tongues jprQoject-, ing laterally therefrom upon which the limbs j are pivoted; 4 1 j j 9. As a new article'of manufacture, a toy figure including a bodyand head portion formed of interlocking complementary stamping portions, tongues at the lower end of the body adapted to interlock with a support and freely swinging flatlimbs pivoted to the body, said body havingtongues projecting laterally therefrom upon which-the limbs are pivoted, said tongues having enlarged outer ends to retain the limbs against loss '10. In atoy of the class described, a-pair of supported manikins including freely swinglng arms and legs, means for causing the manikins to ump up and down and swing their arms and legs, means for causing the manikins to circle about a predetermined path while maintaining a predetermined re-' lationship to each other and means for irregularly timing all of the movements of the casing, a platform constituting a top for the casing and having an opening therein to accommodate the operating connections between the motor andfigures on the platform,

detachable brackets projecting beyond the corners of the platform, upright posts secured in the'bracketsand a' flexible device connecting the posts.- r j 12.- In a toy of the class described, a motor casing, a platform constituting atop for the casing and having an opening therein to accommodate the operating connections be tween the motor and figures on the platform,

brackets interlocked with and projecting beyond the corners of the platform and. having post holes, corner posts securedin said'post holes and a flexible device connecting the corner posts. a

13; In aJtoyiof the class described, a motor casing, a platformconstituting'a topfor the casing and having an opening therein to accommodate the operating connections between the motor and figures on the platform, brackets interlocked with and projecting beyond the corners of the platform and having post holes, corner posts secured in said post holes and a flexible device connecting the corner posts, said brackets and platform being interlocked by bendable tongues.

14. In a toy of the class described, a motor casing, a platform constituting a top for the casing and having an opening therein to accommodate the operating connections between the motor and figures on the platform,

brackets interlocked with and projecting beyond the corners of the platformand having post holes, corner posts secured in said post holes and a flexible device connecting the corner posts, said posts including outstruck metal tongues receiving and clamping the flexibledevice at each corner of the platform.

n no

1 5. device of the class desoribed including a motor casing, a spring motor housed Within the casing, and including a train of 'sp'eed increasing gears acting by inertia to 5 exert a fly Wheel effect on the motor, a brake lever disposed in the plane of one Wall. of the casing and including an oilset intermediate portion having limited pivotal movementin the wall, opposite ends of the'lever being disw posed on'oppositesides of the'wall and the inner end thereof being engageable With the teethoE one of the gear tram to lock the same I agalnst movement.

16. In mechanical toy, a substantially T shaped structure, the upright of which -constitutes'an intermittently rotated actuating rod and the cross bar of which isvresilient in a vertical plane, and rigid in a horizontal plane, and toy figures detachably mounted n upon the ends of the cross bar and including freely swinging arms and legs. w

v 17. A deviceof the class described including a motor casing, a spring motor'housed Within the casing, and including a train of speed increasing-gearsacting by inertia to exert a fly Wheel effect on the motor, abrake "lever clisposed'in the plane of one Wall of the casing and including an offset intermediate portion having'limited pivotalmove I 50 ment in the Wall, opposite ends of the lever being disposed on opposite sides of the Wall and the inner end thereof beingengageable with the teeth of-one of the gearitra-in to lock the same, against'movement, said casing Wall having a'aproj'ection outstruck therefrom in the path of movement of a part of the lever to prevent accidental movement of the outer end of thelever to or from locking position.

- Signed at Newark. in the'county of Essex and State of New Jersey, this 4th day of June, A, D, 1925.

" p SAMUEL I. BERGER. 

